Akshay Arabolu, CEO of LoveMeButter (USA)

We were part of the October 2014 Founders Space cohort. This is a great program that gives you an understanding of all the components that go into building a successful startup.

During the course of the accelerator, there are talks by successful founders who advise on you what you need to do to move your business forward. These talks range from legal, marketing, operations, business development, fund-raising, etc.

If there is a topic that isn’t covered that you need help in, you can always talk to Steve Hoffman (Managing Director of FounderSpace) about it, as he’s very accessible. This is invaluable especially if you are a first-time entrepreneur or are building a startup in an industry you are unfamiliar with.

There is a broad mix of startups in the program, from pre-revenue to growth-stage and all different verticals: food, software, services, etc. So you can learn a lot from your peers. The environment gives you excellent networking opportunities.

All of this is in preparation for Demo Day when you pitch to a room full of investors; the program coaches you to make sure you are ready for it.

Finally, one of the coolest things about the program is that even after you are finish, you are allowed to come participate in any future mentoring sessions.